3 men arrested for suspected loanshark activities
AsiaOne
Friday, May 03, 2013
SINGAPORE - Police have arrested 3 men for suspected involvement in loansharking activities in 3 separate cases.
A police press statement said, in the first case, on May 1, 2013 at about 4 pm, officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division arrested a 64-year-old man in the vicinity of Sengkang Square through follow-up investigations.
Preliminary investigations indicated that the suspect had given away his Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards and Personal Identification Number (PIN) to a loansharking syndicate to facilitate the business of unlicensed moneylending.
He had also assisted loansharks by checking on borrower's unit to confirm that harassment had been carried out. Investigations against the suspect are ongoing.
In the second case, on May 2, 2013 at about 5.20 pm while officers from Bedok Police Division were patrolling in the vicinity of Bedok Reservoir Road, they spotted a 24-year-old man behaving suspiciously and conducted a check on him.
Two ATM cards, which did not belong to him, were found in his possession. He was then placed under arrest for suspected involvement in loansharking activities.
The 2 ATM cards and a mobile phone were seized for investigations. Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect had assisted loansharks by performing electronic fund transactions to facilitate the business. Investigation against the suspect is on-going.
In the third case, on May 3, 2012 at about 2.05am, through follow-up investigations, officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division arrested a 29-year-old man in the vicinity of Rivervale Drive.
Preliminary investigations indicated that he is a debtor-turned-runner and had carried out several cases of loanshark harassment by splashing paint at debtors' units and scrawling loanshark-related graffiti on the walls of HDB.
First-time offenders found guilty of acting on behalf of an unlicensed moneylender, committing or attempting to commit any acts of harassment shall be punished with imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years, a fine of not less than $5,000 and not more than $50,000, and shall also be liable to caning of not less than 3 and not more than 6 strokes.
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